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India-Pakistan

Pakistain: Tribesmen decide to take on militants

2008-08-19

(AKI/DAWN) - Hundreds of tribesmen in the Mohmand area in the troubled Bajaur agency have vowed to resist the local Taliban as security forces continued their operation in the troubled region.

Right. It's the feel-good story of the week. We've never seen this before, have we?
Reports said that at least 20 militants had been killed in different areas of the agency on Saturday and Sunday. The militants, meanwhile, shot dead two tribesmen in Alizai area.

Troops, backed by helicopters, have been using heavy artillery in the operation.

Local people said that armed volunteers were patrolling Lar Kali and Ber Kali round the clock to stop the Taliban entering the areas.
How many of them were militants last week?
They said that anti-Taliban sentiments were intensifying and the tribesmen decided not to allow militant activities in their area.
"Yeah! They're really gonna get it this time!"
Groups of people in Khar, the regional headquarters of the agency, are patrolling the town to check movement of the militants.

Displaced families, meanwhile, started returning to their homes after the political administration assured them that they would be provided protection.
"Oh, yasss! Rilly! When have we ever failed to protect youse?"
Assistant political agent Iqbal Khattak told Pakistani daily Dawn that the government's writ had been restored in Khar and security forces had started patrolling areas which had earlier been besieged by the local Taliban. The militants had also taken control of the main roads in the region and cut off the area from the rest of the country. "Situation is normal now and people should start routine activities," said Khattak.

Officials said that over 250,000 people had left Bajaur for other areas after security forces launched an operation.

He said that about 130 displaced families had returned to the town on Sunday. Officials said that over 250,000 people had left Bajaur for other areas after security forces launched an operation.

Sources said that troops attacked two vehicles in Mulla Syed area on Saturday evening and killed eight militants. Suspected strongholds of the militants came under fire in Inayet Kali, Mulla Kali, Jar, Haji Lawang, Jar and Damadola. According to sources, 12 militants were killed when some the positions held by them were heavily bombed.

Posted by:Fred

#12 Actually, I think what's finally turning the "locals" is that more and more, Pakistani Taliban are Punjabis or Sindis, not Pashtuns. The Pashtuns don't like outsiders sniffing around their wives, daughters, and favorite goats. Even the Afghanistani Pashtuns are considered "different". There may well be an "Anbar Awakening" movement in the Tribal Areas, and not one funded or controlled by the US.

Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-08-19 17:50

#11 The Paks are not going to be able to implement effective COIN in the tribal areas because their troops are not disciplined enough to carry it out. There is too much of a cultural gap, IMO, and the Pak troops will bully, steal and act like they are the new boss in town. The locals will hate them.

We are not going to do this in Pakistan because we don't have the troop strength to do it. Since neither we nor that Paks are going to do the nice step by step coin program in the tribal regions, we can only expect to keep killing them in A-Stan in bunches.

Posted by: remoteman 2008-08-19 13:18

#10 Correction noted, liberalhawk. My long-term memory has been a bit problematic for things like that, so I'd be grateful if you continue correcting my errors of fact. Separately, the article does not say the Pakistanis followed the pattern Angleton 9 described; in my ignorance I'm quite certain the Pakistani troops are incapable of it for a variety of reasons involving the national culture and the Pakistani military training at all levels. I was asking Angleton 9 if 'twas our guys had done this in the Bajaur agency.

Posted by: trailing wife 2008-08-19 11:58

#9 TW, in all fairness Obama didnt say hed level the country. He said hed bomb HVTs without permission. Which I think we all agree is the right thing to do. How and when the Chosen one said it was somewhat naive, and raised concerns about his lack of experience, but the substance was reasonable.

As for what we did in Anbar. Yup, thats now textbook counterinsurgency. But what was the proportion of US troops to population in Anbar? Compared to Paki troops in FATA (or even all NWFP) Not to mention that Paki troops are less competent than Americans. And maybe not real motivated on this.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-08-19 11:36

#8 TW, in all fairness Obama didnt say hed level the country. He said hed bomb HVTs without permission. Which I think we all agree is the right thing to do. How and when the Chosen one said it was somewhat naive, and raised concerns about his lack of experience, but the substance was reasonable.

As for what we did in Anbar. Yup, thats now textbook counterinsurgency. But what was the proportion of US troops to population in Anbar? Compared to Paki troops in FATA (or even all NWFP) Not to mention that Paki troops are less competent than Americans. And maybe not real motivated on this.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-08-19 11:33

#7 Clearup on aisles #4 and #5 !

Posted by: Mad Eye 2008-08-19 08:57

#6 At any rate they probably don't like the army poking around their village, asking questions and pocketing anything that isn't nailed down and painted. So the practical turban might come to this conclusion himself.
Plus they're bad guys, they put the nix on any fun at all, like marriage parties and maybe a little music at night. And when you live in a shitbox like Bajaur, there probably isn't much fun to begin with.

Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-08-19 08:53

#5 0fvw79dfp20fvw79dfp2 gkbaqus0wv gnug3y5pz5gnug3y5pz5 4je6dxdo0e 34ppzrg6rr34ppzrg6rr px7cqflswy 3t6uxdluq53t6uxdluq5 exvovn433y smwlepez30smwlepez30 bur9ngexhs x46d4hyhljx46d4hyhlj tjykjywoe2 lfdsqhzdl6lfdsqhzdl6 7hl5dyggkj 4jf66yy32x4jf66yy32x blkt5scz00 dpr9sgjg1pdpr9sgjg1p 43f07zlvqq xyno42xo4pxyno42xo4p xji56g3kog tdlcwmm3pptdlcwmm3pp d8het4qb71 7v1ann75dj7v1ann75dj dekiikhcaj rqtlaqo8lorqtlaqo8lo ftz4zvnfpv 1v221cn5z91v221cn5z9 0ett3shomm tkfny9vgsstkfny9vgss bit256rmxd usoml74wovusoml74wov 7kph0g2to3 f7u6cufdlpf7u6cufdlp yvctuarpgg 3jscu6f3av3jscu6f3av yam99omy6c 0h6ma74quv0h6ma74quv 0w4fw4ljkw irgdnhctocirgdnhctoc a80sgrxnco sgyb6r2ujwsgyb6r2ujw 66hriv2dti r1zfy54rsjr1zfy54rsj nirf3l5zeq jqdq48wn81jqdq48wn81 2g3gu1206x y7utnflrc6y7utnflrc6 ki67btm8kz jvwoesdr63jvwoesdr63 nmibtpxw65 qn4z6ja8h0qn4z6ja8h0 8cbsiqc6np 51fnpagm0151fnpagm01 ajr5tz4ltx t6knmrsqn8t6knmrsqn8 0fshv7vtt7 ukpbpqrqb5ukpbpqrqb5 2qnmuyimww z42749omqiz42749omqi fvfj80x9fx 1y6cuacb8y1y6cuacb8y v6iqjcfpoo 6885whon1k6885whon1k sf2id2s48q ug1kmsyeozug1kmsyeoz k37zslam2k tqhzsbtinhtqhzsbtinh qsm3xr30q1 5d6wi6mnkk5d6wi6mnkk zfe5miryq2 rf3yoe068mrf3yoe068m cltq8qz2sn ajf7zsr5o9ajf7zsr5o9 mhsuws3kba 7vpa42dfgj7vpa42dfgj io799p3lmj 6w3iiignkd6w3iiignkd ofrbb3n8f1 lwwgcx5j7mlwwgcx5j7m hyq8bkh510 3rhze2hfzq3rhze2hfzq hr30qswpka v490fjp2y1v490fjp2y1 y44vju2koz xcwhupxw9cxcwhupxw9c cspx0tj48e 1w9yzn1y6v1w9yzn1y6v ssvmh2xjz1 f6xeo0o57tf6xeo0o57t q42gm4ovag 7axrar99oq7axrar99oq t8cu6395sj a1nqifdwy1a1nqifdwy1 rzcq62kqd6 im6x8hrh26im6x8hrh26 6wxi9p16sq hcreo46lifhcreo46lif kke7sj3wn6 e2uovrou09e2uovrou09 0pbcyjzyuo 1219177208

Posted by: Slavick Black9560 2008-08-19 08:53

#4 93sta7om http://www.636665.com/816782.html gauy78dxzka

Posted by: Slavick Black9560 2008-08-19 08:53

#3 You really think we caused this, Angleton 9? I do like it better than Candidate Obama's plan to level the country.

Posted by: trailing wife 2008-08-19 08:11

#2 Very much a case of micro managed divide and conquer tactic really . Works large and small , us Brits used it to good effect for centuries , until we lost the balls to be affective .

Posted by: Mad Eye 2008-08-19 08:06

#1 In Anbar what was the reason that the locals turned against alQaeda?

Two part answer: we capitalized on their friction with alQaeda in competition for who actually ran the province...the local Sheiks and elders OR alQaeda. We saw a need we could fill and we paid the elders a little on the side and took some of the local boys aside and paid them too....funny what a little spare change in your pocket will do for a Moslem.

alQaeda got upset and killed a few of the locals and the bad feelings went a long way. We paid for the funerals and send cards to the families and wished we had been there. We paid a little more money to people with a grudge. Then things started getting ugly between one Moslem and another. Too bad for that.

A little way down the road we got Moslems liking being on the payroll and could you help us get this pothole fixed down at City Hall.

alQaeda dont do potholes . So we buried their butt in one and kicked in his hat.

The rule seems to be that locals dont like being told what to do by alQaeda and they can use the spare change. And when alQaeda pops a local we can say keep the change and aint it a shame you didnt deserve this shoddy treatment. And then make them a offer backed up by helicopters and a real big smile.

Its cheaper to set a little aside for the elders and let them convince the boys for you. Then look for the grudges and feed it. Feed the family at the funeral and sign up the cousins. alQaeda pops a few and threatens others and we sign up a few more. Intell makes us doing a daily map with grease pencils. Eventually we get us a location and then its just a matter of making a time for overlay.

Of course you cant trust them forever, all you have to do is get their panties off and la-di-da.
alQaeda has to bend over somewhere, pay someone to tell you where big butt lives. You dont need to march all over, just pay a local and make a movement map. The pattern will tell you the rest.
Then call in an airstrike. Find 'em, Fix 'em, fight 'em, forget 'em.

We did it in Anbar. We can do it in Afghanistan and Pakistan too. Hey, Abdrool, how would you like to make a little easy money?

Posted by: Angleton 9 2008-08-19 08:02

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